The musings, rants, and dissertations of 3 retired military guys and 1 gal. Two Air Force, two Navy. Old AF Sarge, Juvat, Tuna, & LUSH.

Sunday, September 4, 2016

September

Here it is, four days into September, there's a storm off to our south which is already making life too interesting for folks along the coast. It should start affecting us in the next couple of days. Here's what those clouds look like on Weather Underground's interactive radar -

Screenshot from Weather Underground

Of course, I had remarked to The Missus Herself that the hurricane season thus far had been rather lacking in tropical storm activity. Not that I was complaining mind you. While we don't often get the truly raging storms here in Little Rhody, they have occurred from time to time. At least where I live it's somewhat sheltered, folks along Rhode Island's south coast have taken a lot of hits fairly recently.I'm always happy when the big storms avoid us. I saw a few nasty storms (typhoons) on Okinawa, most of which didn't even pass directly over the island, but some exciting times there. (One storm stripped every single leaf off the trees, bushes, and shrubs on the hill behind our barracks. I think that was the worst storm I saw there. Some powerful winds.)So we'll see what happens, no doubt over the next couple of days those watching the Weather Channel will strip the stores of bread and water, happens every time. Snow storms are the worst. The longest I've ever been stranded by a blizzard was five days (Denver 1982). No fun.Anyhoo...I noticed that the first three posts in this fine month were all political. I think I'm going to knock that off for a while. Politics sickens me, besides which I have a few new books I need to read. On the way home from dining out with Tuna last week, The Missus Herself and I had occasion to pass by our local Barnes & Noble, it had been a while so I suggested we stop by. Which we did, hence the new books which require reading.Yesterday, I almost decided to stop "internetting." There is too much disinformation flying around out there and I can scarce believe some of the stuff some folks accept as fact, without bothering to check the source. It is sore tempting at times to log off the computer and say the Hell with it. I mean I have all those new books to read.But I persevere. Most days I enjoy interacting with folks here and over at the Book o' Face. Though it is headache inducing from time to time, I have a thick skin and to be quite honest, most times I find some of the stuff floating around the Web of World Wideness to be somewhat amusing.Anyhoo...I'm going to go read one of my new books, I may or may not post about those new books. Honestly, the "book report" posts aren't all that popular. Then again, I do this for my tribe's posterity. I'm sure the grandchildren will want to know what Grandpa was reading way back in September of 2016.Yeah, I'm sure. The radar picture as of Saturday afternoon -

Screenshot from Weather Underground

The storm watches and advisories as of Saturday afternoon -

Screenshot from Weather Underground

You might get a post-storm report in the next cuppla, POCIR.Until then, keep your heads down and your powder dry.

Who knew that Pennsylvania had a storm prevention system? How else can you explain the graphic showing that the storm is going to march straight up to the border then take a hard right and dump on NJ? It's on the internet, it MUST be the truth, by golly! Sarge said so!

It's fun to play with the Wundermap, move the center and that graphic of watches and warnings bounces all over the place. You should also note that West Virginia utilizes the same force field. Ah, the joys of overlays on a map.

Forecasts of doom are always overblown. When ratings matter,the worst local forecast is always selected. People prepare and when a bell curve result occurs the tv meteos just shrug and never bring up the gloom and doom until next time. And most folks don't know where to go to get raw data and would not understand it if they did due to the woefully lacking science educations today.

I wish I could remember the website my kids (The WSO and Big Time) use for aviation weather forecasts. I have just enough meteorological knowledge to grasp what's there. (One elective in college, it was a fun course.)

I know enough to interpret the radar maps so I can get a picture of what's out there and where it's going. More fun than watching Jim Cantore standing in the rain telling us of the doom to come.

A couple of years back he came to New England for a big storm, my Mom jokingly said, "I guess we're doomed, Cantore is in town."

Sarge, go to www.nhc.noaa.gov that's the national hurricane center website. Log to storm name ( Hermine)

Click on discussion - and you'll get a technical but understandable discussion of weather.

Locally, you need the Taoton, MA forecast office. And you want to read when you want to scoop is the AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION. Again, t can get technical, especially in New England where you have weather, but you get to hear the thought process and the livelihoods. And that is when you see the real forecast. Not the overhyped ones you get on tv.

As an Army weather guesser the antics of the TV variety have given me a full range of reactions from mirth to madness. I always point out to the wife when Hurricane season is upon us and the obligatory TV news EMERGENCY UPDATE with the local weather guy standing on a beach with a rain slicker and a microphone shouting - "It's really windy here Tom, but we expect it to be much worse as the storm gets closer!". But I always feel for the TV types here in Texas in August as they find new and interesting ways of filling up the five minute weather slice with creative ways of saying it will be hot and dry for the next two weeks. That is a hard song and dance to do while still keeping your audience riveted - There is nothing quite like doing a stand-up in front of a room full of Army SF types and telling them about the hundred and teens for the next two weeks with a smile - Now THAT is a performance. For civilian style weather pages my two faves are 1. Mikes - as a one stop place with every data set you could possibly imagine - ( http://www.spaghettimodels.com/localweather ) - and 2. Rap UCAR - for plain jane weather info in a quick and easy format. ( http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/ )

Doing well. Each day is a little bit better than the last. Some minor discomfort, more than soreness, around the incision. Finding it harder as the days pass to refrain from exerting myself. Much to do, and the days aren't getting longer.

Yours is the latest in a long line of recommendations for Liberty's Last Stand. Looks like I'll have to pick it up, along with Nathaniel Philbrick's latest. Have fun back at the salt mines. I'm sure everyone will be happy to have you back.

Just be careful Sarge - you might be in the Scotland where the heatwave is approaching - might get as warm as 22 or 23C on Tuesday - when it was 75F [24C] that one day I was there people were dropping in the streets from the heat. . . .